March 14 sources told An-Nahar that the opposition is looking forward to adding the necessary amendments to the electricity plan during the upcoming joint parliamentary committees’ meeting and discussing those amendments during the general parliament meeting on Thursday. The sources added that the Justice and Administration committee MP Robert Ghanem should have proposed a vote on the electricity plan’s amendments during the joint committees on Monday, instead of Wednesday, to give the opposition more time to discuss the amendments before Thursday’s parliamentarian session.
Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour condemned the sabotaging of churches, monasteries and sanctuaries in certain villages of Rashaya and West Bekaa, stressing that the region is prepared to defend against any misconduct. In a press release Abou Faour called on the security, military and judiciary bodies to find and prosecute the perpetrators. He added that all attempts to incite strife in Lebanon will fail and will not affect people’s unity.
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said that he will avoid any confrontation with the United States or any other country during United Nation’s meeting on Friday, where he will present the Palestinian bid for full membership to the United Nations Security Council.
After meeting with President Michel Sleiman at the Security Council presidency’s office Abbas told An-Nahar that he will hopes to receive 9 votes out of the 15 temporary members at the council while none of the 5 permanent members will exercise their veto right.
Abbas added that he will avoid any confrontation with anyone at the Council’s meeting on Friday, stressing the Palestinian right to have an internationally recognized state and end 63 years of suffering.
On the other hand, the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told An-Nahar that his country supports and will recognize Palestine’s right for a state that unites all Palestinians.
On the other hand, the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told
An-Nahar that his country supports and will recognize Palestine’s right
for a state that unites all Palestinians.
Sources told Al-Mustaqbal newspaper that a meeting was held between PM Najib Mikati, Minister of Health Ali Hassan Khalil and the Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s political aide Hussein Khalil before the September 7th cabinet meeting where they agreed to pass Gebran Bassil’s electricity plan with the amendments requested by the opposition.
The sources added that the tripartite agreed to ignore the amendments during the parliamentary session so Bassil could pass his plan without the, previously agreed upon, changes.
The Lebanese Ambassador to the
United
Nation (UN) Nawaf Salam said that the American veto is ready to slam the
Palestinian bid for full membership at the UN on Friday.
Salam told Al-Liwaa newspaper that
Lebanon and the rest of the Arab countries support Palestine’s bid,
saying that
Palestine should look forward to join the observatory countries in the
United
Nations, since a full membership, amid American veto threats, is like
speculating on a stock market.
Asked on the Syrian uprising,
Salam said
that “the international community and several United Nations countries
are
looking forward to a new round of sanctions on Syria but this will not
happen
as we [Lebanon] preside the Security Council at the moment”
“Recognizing the Palestinian State
is not
a question for Lebanon, as it is the full right of the Palestinians to
decide
their own destiny and I expect a long battle in this regard at the
Security
Council”
On funding the Special Tribunal
for
Lebanon (STL), Salam said that Lebanon still has plenty of time to
discuss this
issue and to pay its share from the STL funding [Lebanon should pay 49%
of the
STL costs], adding that no sanctions will be imposed on Lebanon
regarding the subject
which will be discussed in Beirut, not in New York.